Porous carbon monoliths templated by pickering emulsions

Abstract

Porous carbon monoliths are prepared using emulsions stabilized by carbonaceous particles or aggregates. An illustrative porous carbon monolith comprises carbon black, including any graphitized carbon black particles, carbonized binder and porosity. The porosity includes first pores having a pore size within the range of from about 0.5 μm to about 100 μm and second pores having a pore size within the range of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm. The pore size distribution of the first pores does not overlap with a pore size distribution of the second pores.

1 . A method for producing a porous carbon monolith, the method comprising:
 a) forming a particle stabilized emulsion including immiscible liquids, carbonaceous aggregates and a binder;   b) removing liquids present in the particle stabilized emulsion; and   c) decomposing the binder to produce the porous carbon monolith.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of phenolic resin, starch and sucrose. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is an organic compound having a high carbon content. 
     
     
         4 . The method of any of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is decomposed by heating in the absence of oxygen. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is decomposed by heating at a temperature within the range of from about 800° C. to about 1500° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is decomposed by treatment with a chemical agent that removes oxygen and hydrogen from the binder molecule. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the carbonaceous aggregates is present in a continuous phase of the particle stabilized emulsion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon monolith is further processed to obtain a particulate material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising attaching at least one organic group to a surface of the porous carbon monolith. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous aggregates comprise carbon black. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the carbon black particles are provided in an amount within the range of from about 5 to about 55 weight percent based on an aqueous phase of the emulsion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the ratio by weight of binder to carbon black is within the range of from about 0.2 to about 2. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the immiscible liquids include water and an organic compound immiscible with water and the ratio of carbon black to the organic compound is within the range of from about 0.16 to about 0.96 by weight. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous aggregate is at least partially hydrophilic. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous aggregate comprises a surface-modified carbon black or an oxidized carbon black. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particle-stabilized emulsion further contains particles selected from the group consisting of unmodified fumed silica, colloidal silica, hydrophobically modified fumed silica, hydrophobically modified colloidal silica, hydrophobically modified precipitated silica, clay, alumina, activated carbon, ceria, palladium, unmodified carbon black particles and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous aggregate is provided as carbon black particles in an aqueous dispersion. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the dispersion is a dispersion of sulfanilic acid treated high surface area carbon black or a dispersion of para-amino-benzoic acid treated high surface area carbon black. 
     
     
         26 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A porous carbon monolith comprising carbon and porosity, wherein the carbon includes carbonaceous aggregates and carbonized binder and said porosity comprises first pores having a pore size within the range of from about 0.5 μm to about 100 μm and second pores having a pore size within the range of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm, wherein a pore size distribution of the first pores does not substantially overlap with a pore size distribution of the second pores. 
     
     
         31 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . The porous carbon monolith of  claim 30 , wherein the carbonaceous aggregates comprise carbon black and optional graphitized carbon black. 
     
     
         39 . The porous carbon monolith of  claim 38 , wherein the porous carbon monolith has a density within the range of from about 0.25 to about 0.3 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The porous carbon monolith of  claim 30 , wherein said monolith has at least one organic group attached to its surface. 
     
     
         42 . A chromatographic medium including the porous carbon monolith of  claim 30 . 
     
     
         43 . A battery device including the porous carbon monolith of  claim 30 . 
     
     
         44 . A particle stabilized oil-water emulsion comprising a binder and carbon black particles in an amount of at least 5% by weight of the water phase of the emulsion, wherein partial hydrophobicity and partial hydrophilicity are displayed in the same carbon black particle.